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The plans have been fought all the way by local residents, Backwell Residents Association and Backwell Parish Council.

The parish council, supported by the residents association, paid for a specialist planning lawyer to speak at the inquiry.

More than 400 letters of objection were received against the scheme and more than 20 villagers spoke at the inquiry.

The development is also against the Backwell Neighbourhood Plan.

Part of Farleigh Fields is also included in North Somerset Council’s sites and policies plan – due to be ratified this Spring – which says the land should remain as local green space.

Campaigners said the size of the development was inappropriate for the rural village – increasing its size by 15 per cent - and it would bring additional traffic onto the A370- already a busy commuter route into Bristol.

They also raised concern about access to the site and the impact the development would have on local wildlife.

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This is not the first time developers have tried to build houses on the site.

In 1984 CH Beezer Homes put forward plans for 250 homes on the eastern part of the site. But this was refused by the then Woodspring District Council who said the development would have an adverse effect on Backwell.

The developers appealed and lost and the matter was then referred to the Secretary of State who ruled the agricultural potential of the site should be protected.

Developers also put forward plans to build 150 homes on the site in 2000, but these too were thrown out.

More and more green field sites across North Somerset are coming under threat from developers are North Somerset Council tries to meet its Government house building targets.